Summer Afternoons
by Cheesekakke
Summary: As peaceful and deceptive as the title sounds, it is not! Taking place the summer between books 6 and 7, our characters find themselves in many hilarious, romantic, angsty and ridiculous situations. Will the popping food wreck Ginny's birthday?


**Popping Food**

(a.k.a. Best damn birthday)

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A/U: This came from daftlilme's fic The Elementum. I suggested popping food, but no, it would take to much time. Thus, my darling friend I am turning your rejected idea into a blockbuster. **HBP SPOILER!**

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The bell on the door tinkled and Hermione and Ginny had walked in. With many reprimands and warnings, the two had been allowed to go for a birthday breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione had taken Ginny along in Side-Along Apparition right outside the bar and they had owled Tom the day earlier telling him what all they would eat, so he wouldn't be in such a rush getting breakfast for them in the mornings. Ginny tossed her sixteen year-old hair out behind her, and Hermione giggled noticing her movements.

"Ginny, that was completely unlike you. What happened?" Then her eyes widened, and tried to see into Ginny's head. Ginny didn't require any sort of protection, for Hermione wasn't a Legilimens. She squealed. "Oh my goodness! No way, that's…" Ginny grimaced and led Hermione to the counter where Tom stood fixing bills and wiping the wood polished counter.

"Nothing, Hermione. Well, Harry gave me the worst sort of birthday present last night. He said we couldn't be together because he didn't want to see me hurt, and Voldemort would most likely go after me." She looked down at her fading sneakers and fiddled with her thumbs, while Hermione let out a gasp of shock.

"No! Oh, Ginny, he wouldn't do that." Ginny ignored her and turned to Tom who had apparently finished his business and was looking up expectantly.

"Morning Tom. Coffee first, if you don't mind." Tom smiled at her then jabbed his wand at the nearest table, causing a big, black pot of coffee to appear out of thin air with a pop. Hermione suspected it had come from the kitchens, a product of a couple minutes of _man_-labor. Tom smiled once more at the pair, showing his toothless mouth.

"Yell if ya need anything else." He growled and turned to his polishing of glasses, spoons and other silverware. The two girls sat down and Ginny pulled the chipped mug close to her and poured herself a generous amount of the coffee. The aroma was enough to make any stomach squirm in delight and Hermione was pleased when Ginny put an equal amount in her cup and set the pot down. Hermione smiled warmly and the troubled girl opposite her, mentally hoping to slug Harry good and hard when she got home. A sudden loud noise interrupted her train of thought.

"Eggs, you slime, where are the eggs!" Both Hermione and Ginny turned at the voice. It was somewhat familiar to both of them, but they couldn't place it. The cloaked figure who had spoke gave them a sharp look and turned to his shrouded companion and they started whispering in hushed tones. Ginny narrowed her eyes at the sight of them

"They look suspicious, Hermione. We'd better finish fast. Mum was right about the world, it's not safe to go out alone." Ginny whispered to Hermione over her nearly empty mug of coffee, then raising the volume she yelled to Tom, who had sent the eggs to the other table with a loud pop and an annoyed look. "Bacon, Tom, if you don't mind!" Tom smiled at the more polite method of ordering and soon the kippers were on the table with a pop. The two cloaked men (for it was apparent that they were men) shot another look their way and the other one yelled out to Tom

"Orange Juice!" POP! The sloshing jug of orange juice appeared on the wooden table. Tom gave Ginny and Hermione a sour look, it was clear he wanted these customers out as soon as possible. Hermione leant over the table to Ginny who was slicing her bacon with a worried look on her face.

"Gin, we'd better get the food before Tom runs out. I really don't like the look of those two. Sausages please, Tom!" POP! A tumbling plate appeared on the table, and Ginny reached for one without the slightest hesitation. Another shrouded glance was sent their way.

"Waffles, scum, hurry up!" POP! The waffles clattered slightly as it appeared on the scrubbed surface.

"Pancakes, please!" POP! Complete with syrup.

"CEREAL!" POP!

"YOGHURT" cried Ginny, throwing all politeness to the winds. It was a battle for food, and on her birthday she certainly wasn't going to lose. POP!

"OATMEAL!"

"TOAST!"

"BAGELS!"

"APPLE JUICE!"

"MUFFINS!"

"BANANAS!"

"STOP!"

Tom froze, obviously exhausted from Summoning all that food. Both tables were loaded and groaning with all the weight and the cloaked man who had first shouted had given the command to stop. He was facing the two girls absolutely livid. Meanwhile, Tom was even angrier.

"If you don't mind, the breakfast bar is now closed! And don't bother to come back for lunch either!" Ginny and Hermione rounded on the other two, dislike etched in every line of their face and Ginny considered hurling the plate of bananas in their faces. The nerve!

"Weasley, beware the Legilimens. Don't dare hurl that plate at me." The two girls gaped as the first boy lowered his hood. His stormy grey eyes misted over and his pale pointy face looked exactly like it had been on the Ministry warning posters. Ginny jumped up from her seat, sending plates crashing to the floor.

"You…you…what!" She glanced from Draco Malfoy to the cloaked boy beside him. The cloak came off to reveal an oddly smug Blaise Zabini.

"Hey, Weasley, Hermione." He nodded his head at each of them in turn. Hermione frowned at the use of her first name, especially when he had called Ginny by her last. Ginny meanwhile was furious, glaring at Malfoy with a death-implying gaze, and he took it all calmly, staring back.

"Lost your boyfriend did you? I suppose Saint Potter doesn't have enough time for you, probably chasing after that Quidditch player, what's her name?" He glanced back at Blaise, who sniggered and directed his eyes to Hermione.

"Rebekah Isabelle Prince. Chaser for the Tornadoes." He said all this, keeping his eyes on Hermione, who Ginny had noticed had gone pink in the cheeks.

"You shut up." She turned back to Draco who was regarding her smugly. "That was rude! I just came here to celebrate my birthday, and I run into you two. And Malfoy! You're supposed to be hiding from the Ministry aren't you?" He glared back at her, slipping on his dragonhide gloves as he spoke.

"Ach, Weaselette. Can't a man celebrate his birthday in peace?" He motioned to Blaise who slipped his hood back on and prepared to leave, keeping the dirty dishes on the floor. Hermione, meanwhile was putting puzzle pieces together and simply couldn't control herself from blurting out the truth, a skill practiced often in her classes at Hogwarts.

"You guys have the same birthday. Wow, that's really unexpected, I mean I wouldn't have thought..." Ginny rounded on Hermione, suddenly really tired of the smart witch's banter.

"Hermione, you can be really daft sometimes! I mean, of course we have the same birthday, who wouldn't see that from our forced bit of conversation! We all obviously hate Dr-Malfoy, and can you please not try and rub it in! Besides…" Ginny broke off and Hermione could see the sparkling tears at the corners of her eyes. She was obviously extremely upset at this intrusion on her special birthday breakfast. Hermione turned to the other two, hoping to see their reactions. She couldn't tell with Blaise, for his hood was up again. Malfoy was staring at Ginny as coolly as ever, but with a slightly troubled look on his face, like he was between the horns of an impending dilemma.

"Speaking of shutting up, Weasley." Draco began his speech in his trademark drawl, " I can think of only one way to do it." Ginny looked up surprised, not caring whether Draco saw the tears in her eyes. When she spoke next, it was in a soft, and unusually timid voice.

"Wha-?" Draco closed the gap between them in a couple of confident strides and pressed his lips against hers. Ginny tried to pull back, but his muscled arms held her tight to him. Through the fireworks that were exploding in front of her eyes, Ginny was shocked at the fact that Malfoy was a very good kisser. She tried to relax and enjoy the kiss, but as soon as she did, Draco pulled apart from her. Running her fingers over her slightly swollen lips the truth of what had happened hit Ginny like a broomstick made out of cinderblocks. She had kissed _Draco_ Malfoy.

SLAP!

He grinned at her eerily, despite the welt that was coming up on his cheek.

"That's my birthday present. You got yours, and unfortunately, it doesn't come with a refund." He gestured to Blaise to follow him out the door, Draco pulling up his cloak hood as he stepped over the threshold. The turned on one spot and vanished. After a long and uncomfortable silence, during which pity for her red-headed fried occupied Hermione's mind, Ginny could only whisper one thing.

"That was the best damn birthday present _ever_."

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A/U: Hope you like first chap! This fic will be about various summer days between HBP and book 7, so the plots will be various and many ships and all those things. They'll also be kinda funny I have Snape knifes Snape turning into…well I won't ruin the surprise…heh. So it'll be like a potpourri of characters and plots and all those things. I can't stick to one plot for much long so I can do this. It'll probably run until book 7 comes out. And review! If I don't get at least 5 reviews, then u don't get the next chapter! Ha-ha ain't I good! REVIEW!

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